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Saroj & Ors. vs. IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Co. & Ors.

Not available · 2024 INSC 816Decided 24 Oct 2024
Not available
Justice Sanjay Karol · Justice Ujjal Bhuyan

Background

The wife and sons of a man named Silak Ram, who died in a 2015 motorcycle accident in Haryana, sought compensation. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded about Rs 20.35 lakh, but the High Court reduced this to about Rs 9.22 lakh, using a lower "minimum wage" income figure instead of the local District Commissioner's notified rate, and treating the deceased's age (based on his Aadhaar card, which showed him as 47) as higher than the family claimed (45, based on his School Leaving Certificate), which affects the multiplier used to calculate compensation.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court restored a higher compensation figure, holding the High Court was wrong to interfere with the Tribunal's reasonable factual findings just because another view was possible. On the age dispute, the Court held that a School Leaving Certificate is more reliable proof of date of birth than an Aadhaar card, pointing to UIDAI's own official circular (December 2023) clarifying that Aadhaar is proof of identity but not proof of date of birth, and to the Juvenile Justice Act's own hierarchy of preferred age-proof documents (school records ranked above others). Using the School Leaving Certificate date of birth, the correct multiplier was 14 (not 13). The Court also restored the higher notional income figure and raised the interest rate from 6% back to 8%, given that compensation in fatal accident cases must be fair to the bereaved family. The final award was rounded up to Rs 15 lakh with 8% interest.

Lesson Learnt

An Aadhaar card is legally only proof of identity, not proof of a person's exact date of birth, for age-related legal disputes, a School Leaving Certificate or similar document carries more weight, a distinction that can materially change how compensation or other age-dependent legal entitlements are calculated.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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